The restoration of Strawberry Hill has begun with the Strawberry Hill Trust appointing Chapel Studio Ltd to carry out the extensive conservation and resetting of the fine 16^th to 18^th Century painted glass throughout the house. The glass is being expertly removed from the windows and then taken to the workshops of Chapel Studio Ltd. There a small team of conservators, who between them have nearly 150 years of experience of such work, will restore the roundels and panels to their former glory. Work on this part of the restoration has begun ahead of the main contract as it will take some 16 months to conserve all the glass and reset it in the window arrangements that Horace Walpole would have known.

Extensive investigation of the fabric of the house has been going on since the end of 2007. The team of consultants led by Peter Inskip and Peter Jenkins Architects have prepared a detailed package of drawings and documentation based on the findings which has been dispatched to building contractors experienced in working on grade I listed houses. Tenders are due back late October 2008.

Subject to the value of the tenders the Strawberry Hill Trust plan to appoint a main contractor to start on the work in November 2008 with completion planned for early summer 2010 to coincide with the Horace Walpole exhibition to be mounted at the V&A in 2010.

The thorough investigation of the building has revealed not only the extent of elements that survive from the pre Walpole period but also the fragility of parts of Horace's paper castle. The south tower of the building in particular is a timber framed structure with brick infill in very poor condition. This part of the house will be taken down and rebuilt. Other areas will be repaired and strengthened and missing historic details restored. The whole of the old house will then be re-rendered in lime mortar and finished with a lime wash as it would have been in Walpole's time.

The restoration and conservation work will bring the house back to how it was when Horace Walpole completed Strawberry Hill. Visitor facilities and education rooms will be formed and the first phase of recreating the historic gardens will be part of the main contract work. The total project value for the work and setting up the house as a heritage attraction and education facility- is £8.9 million. The Trust is close to securing the total amount.